January is the cruelest month. Short days with little sun. Wind and weather that steals through your very skin. Endless politics on the TV. The continual battle not to eat all that fattening comfort food that you/I crave. Finding places to put that holiday gift you will never use. And to add to the deep thoughts, some of my dear friends and bloggers are fighting personal health battles. Mortality is a big canvas staring me in the face these days.
I try to be a realist and accept that all things change both rapidly and slowly. My grandchildren find me less interesting and more quaint. Most of my friends are old people. My routines are in concrete and interruptions make me like the stereotypical old foggey...grumpy.
Since my time is shorter on this planet, I tend to have less patience and have to control my temper when the change that I want does not happen fast enough or when a change is imposed upon me.
My calendar for the New Year is filling with activities in the coming months and like the smuck that I am, I wish it was not so full. I want to crawl away and lick my wounds and sigh and be introverted. Instead, I have a family that is busy making sure we are busy.
Not complaining but creakily adjusting.
You are fortunate to have activities, and the capacity to appreciate them. Grumpy gets amusing sometimes. Less tolerance for quality, I feel, is what diamonds go through to become diamonds.
ReplyDeletea lot of that applies to me. I'm trying not to be creaky though. I do find that as time grows shorter I don't do things I don't want to do. and I try to keep a young (or younger) viewpoint.
ReplyDeleteHave your grands said, "Hey Boomer" to you yet?
ReplyDeleteI miss the days when the grandkids wanted to be with us. It is what it is though. At least this year, my brother is coming to spend some time with us here in Tucson. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on most of this, but actually 'like' the month of January (not necessarily THIS January since our cats are having difficulties)... but after all the Christmas rush and busy-ness, January is usually a quiet month... bad weather yes, but since we're retired, we can stay home by the fire.
ReplyDeleteGlad you are "creakily adjusting" - don't have much choice, do we? Accepting change is better than fighting it (at least IMO). And having family around to help you make the adjustments is definitely an asset.
I like this post. I can identify with much of it.
ReplyDeleteI could have written this post. It's where I am these days, feeling grumpy a lot of the time, and really grumpy about the cold weather and snow we've got around here. Three days of schools being closed, two of the Senior Center shuttered, and two for the yoga studio. All my classes canceled, too. I don't like change. :-(
ReplyDeleteSometimes you may need to set aside some down time to recover. Take care of yourself.
ReplyDeleteEven here in Hawaii, the days are shorter. I get more sleep this way though. I have too many things happening now and I do find myself feeling a bit crotchety too sometimes. sigh...
ReplyDeleteI find it a mystery that we grow old! Time went to fast and I'm older and it feels as if life sneaked by me! Sometimes I like to just sit and enjoy my backyard to try to slow down the days. Andrea
ReplyDeleteI like your phrase: "creakily adjusting"!
ReplyDeleteI've adopted a "go with the flow" attitude as I have got older, saves getting grumpy.
ReplyDeleteTabor, you sound like me, right down to the creaky adjusting and occasional grumpiness. Creaky and grumpy or not, you are a treasure.
ReplyDeleteSo well penned. I SO relate, especially with this: "I try to be a realist and accept that all things change both rapidly and slowly. My grandchildren find me less interesting and more quaint." And someone on Facebook just said "Ok, boomer" to me!
ReplyDeleteSounds so familiar. This too will pass!
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